Everything happening Freestyle...

Have a hankering to live in the 1970's? Look no further than Speedie's Vintage on Redchurch St, East London. He has everything you need to deck your home out in kitsch patterns, from sofa's to record players, kitchen utensils to lava lamps. The shop is laid out in a lounge / kitchen / dining room formation, like being in an amazing time warp and pretty much a ready made 1970's set. Which is why the FreeStyle Magazine fashion team braved the treacherous snowy conditions of January in London, to shoot six fabulous models as they indulged in a spot of retro wife swapping.....

We also caught up with storeowner, Speedie for a little chat:

How did you get into buying and selling vintage?
I started a weekend job in the Stables Market, Camden Town 10 years ago. I enjoyed it immensely and continued to work in various vintage retail positions for the next 7 years.
I've always wanted to own and run a shop, I'm a hoarder and lover of all things vintage, retro and kitsch, so it seems fitting that I own a store and deal in these items on a daily basis.
Believing that I was born in the wrong decade helps as I reject modern technology and styles in favour of the obsolete and dated but desirable design. I don't really know how to properly use a computer, unless it's an early 80’s Commodore. And I still make actual mix tapes with cassettes recorded from my vinyl collection. (Commodore and cassettes available in store!)

Where do you source your pieces and furniture?
I hand select from many different sources from around the UK and mainland Europe.

Is this your first store?
Yes, it’s been open for 18 months.

What are your favourite pieces in store at the moment? I have an early 1970’s black and red vinyl sofa; it’s the most comfortable sofa I have ever sat on!

Who is your style icon?
I'm not sure if I have a style icon, as I usually make it up as I go along, I do appreciate 70s fashion, such as the band Mott the Hoople. I have many different styles that I embrace one day I could be an early 80s punk the next mid 70s newscaster with a bit of nerd thrown into both.

What are the origins of the store's and your name?
The store was named after me and here's the story of my name. I was on a trial day at my first job in the Stables Market, this was also my first trip to Camden Town and it blew me away. So many vintage stores packed into a vibrant market environment were just too much!
The owners of the store were all really nice and fun, so I was extremely keen to land the job. I did everything they asked of me really, really quickly. They liked what they saw and named me Speedie. I worked there for the next 7 years and got to be known by this name, it was when I dropped my real name to avoid confusion that the name had really taken...